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Martha’s Vineyard pierogi vendor speaks out on Alan Dershowitz feud
“Our handcrafted pierogi, made with love from locally sourced ingredients, are so undeniably delicious, he’ll do anything to get his hands on them.”
Thrust into the national spotlight after denying Alan Dershowitz pierogi privileges, a Martha’s Vineyard farmers market vendor is pushing back on the celebrity lawyer’s “one-sided, mythical storyline” about the viral exchange.
Dershowitz, a former lawyer for President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, took to social media last week to decry the “bigoted vendor” he claimed refused to sell him pierogi over his political views. Threatening legal action, Dershowitz specifically suggested the owners of Good Pierogi took issue with his outspoken Zionism and his decision to defend Trump during the president’s first Senate impeachment trial.
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But in a statement posted to social media Tuesday, Good Pierogi co-owner Krem Miskevich was adamant they were “legally-justified” in turning Dershowitz away from their West Tisbury Farmers Market pop-up on July 30. Miskevich, who uses they/them pronouns, specifically cited Dershowitz’s representation of Epstein, a convicted sex offender.
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“I have no desire to argue about the legal system in the U.S., or one’s right to a fair trial,” Miskevich continued. “But, I personally know too many sexual abuse survivors. Mr. Dershowitz consciously decided to befriend and defend men who have been accused of abusing and harming women.”
They added: “In our minds and hearts, selling to Alan Dershowitz was the equivalent to supporting his decisions and statements.”
Miskevich further accused Dershowitz of misgendering them, harassing and filming the Good Pierogi team without their consent, and executing a “public smear campaign” in the days that followed.
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“If not for the traction gained from his one-sided, mythical storyline, we would have remained silent,” Miskevich wrote. “However, the continued aggression and threats of groundless litigation have been followed by the distribution of defamatory flyers where we conduct business in an effort to cement further falsehoods. He has also taken to the internet and used the news media to circulate his fiction.”
Good Pierogi saw a long line of supporters Wednesday morning when the West Tisbury Farmers Market opened for business, according to The Martha’s Vineyard Times. As the crowd looked on, Dershowitz approached the stand in another attempt to buy pierogi, only to be denied.
“I’d ask you to please just sell me any one of your products to show that you’re prepared to sell to anybody and not allow your anti-Zionism to decide which people … you’ll sell to,” Dershowitz asked Miskevich in a video of the exchange published by the Times.
Miskevich refused, telling Dershowitz they didn’t appreciate what he’s been saying about Good Pierogi. The attorney, however, defended his statements and noted Miskevich participated in a protest outside the island’s Jewish Culture Festival last year.
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Miskevich disputed Dershowitz’s allegations of antisemitism, and onlookers eventually began to chant “time to go!” as the conversation turned more heated.
Boston.com has contacted Dershowitz for comment. In a post on X Monday, Dershowitz doubled down in calling Miskevich a “bigot” and alleged the chef is a “notorious anti-semite.”
“Don’t patronize anti-semites who refuse to sell to Jewish Zionists,” the attorney added. “Fight back against bigotry.”
While Miskevich said they don’t wish to debate Dershowitz about Israel, they clarified they are also Jewish and even have members of their immediate family living in Israel. They also noted the incident with Dershowitz was the first time Good Pierogi has refused service to anybody.
“The level of effort Mr. Dershowitz is investing in this charade has led us to a singular conclusion,” Miskevich added. “Our handcrafted pierogi, made with love from locally sourced ingredients, are so undeniably delicious, he’ll do anything to get his hands on them.”
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